Category: NFL (Page 558 of 1282)

Rodgers is on the verge of taking the next step

Over the past two years, fans and pundits alike haven’t questioned Aaron Rodgers’ talent, just whether or not he could win. Brett Favre was a winner, so it wasn’t enough that Rodgers put up good numbers: He had to win, too.

In his second year, Rodgers has proven that he can be a winner. Yes, he still must lead the Packers to the playoffs, but he’s on the verge of doing just that as Green Bay has won four in a row and has a grasp on one of the two Wild Card spots in the NFC.

In the Packers’ 27-14 win over the Ravens on Monday night, Rodgers completed 26-of-40 passes for 263 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The two interceptions don’t look great on the stat sheet, but one was on an overthrow on a deep ball and the other was a fluke that bounced off of Donald Driver’s leg and into the waiting arms of a defender. The key was that Rodgers looked poised in and out of the pocket, used his legs to effectively buy himself more time and he didn’t make many mistakes to put his team in a position to lose (unlike Baltimore’s Joe Flacco, who made a horrendous decision near the goal line by throwing an interception to kill a potential scoring drive late in the second half).

There’s still a chance that Rodgers will fade down the stretch and the Packers will miss the playoffs. But with the way he and the rest of the Packers are playing right now (especially the defense, which has really come together under new coordinator Dom Capers), Green Bay won’t miss the postseason. And that’s amazing given how bad the offensive line was playing earlier in the season.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

Is Charlie Weis a good fit for the Bears?

Charlie Weis needs a job and the Chicago Bears need someone capable of calling more than screen passes.

Seems like Weis and Da Bears would make a perfect fit.

According to a report by the Chicago Sun Times, Weis would be interested in becoming the Bears’ next offensive coordinator if/when the job becomes available this offseason. Ron Turner currently holds the position, but he’s expected to be let go for the way Chicago has struggled offensively this season.

Weis failed as a head coach at Notre Dame, but his offenses were successful. He also had plenty of success as the offensive coordinator for the Patriots, so if the Bears did decide that he was a good fit, at least they would be hiring someone with experience.

That said, who knows if Lovie Smith will be retained at the end of the season. If the Bears decide to go in another direction, it would be up to the new head coach as to whom his coordinators would be. And even if Smith doesn’t get fired, there’s no guarantee that he’d work well with Weis.

Bear fans may crucify me for saying this, but the fact of the matter is that Turner isn’t the only reason why the Bears have been completely inept offensively this season. The additions the team made to the offensive line this offseason haven’t panned out and it has cost Matt Forte what was supposed to be a promising second season. Cutler doesn’t have time to throw the ball and even when he does, he forces passes thinking he has to make plays through the air because the running game is non-existent. Turner will essentially serve as the scapegoat to a much bigger problem.

We’ll see if this story develops, but as of right now it’s just a small rumor that may or may not grow legs.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen to turn pro

ESPN.com reports that Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen has decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

“After the season, in talking to my parents and obviously Coach Weis, I just feel it’s the right time,” Clausen told ESPN.com on Monday before a scheduled 2 p.m. ET news conference in South Bend. “Coach Weis told me whether he was going to be here or not be here, it was time for me to go. He thought I’ve improved so much since I came to Notre Dame. So, I’m taking his advice, and I’m going to head out.”

“It’ll probably be just like going from high school to college, but a lot faster than college is. Obviously, being under Coach Weis, being in a pro-style offense, knowing the terminologies, will help me. But the biggest thing will probably be just getting in the playbook and mentally preparing myself to do everything I can to get on the field as quick as I can and help whichever team I go to win.”

Mel Kiper has Clausen rated as the top quarterback on his big board and the fourth best prospect overall.

He’ll unfairly be compared to Brady Quinn because they played in the same offense at Notre Dame, but at least in my opinion, Clausen is a more polished prospect now than Quinn was when he entered the draft. In terms of raw talent and upside, Clausen beats Quinn but that obviously doesn’t mean that he’ll be a better pro.

With Sam Bradford, Jake Locker, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow set to join Clausen in April, the 2010 NFL Draft will have plenty of intrigue surrounding the quarterback class.

« Older posts Newer posts »